Local Green Spaces

Local Plan Part II identifies Local Green Spaces (LGS) which will be protected from development.

These will replace the Open Areas of Local Significance (OALS) policy in the adopted Local Plan.

What is a Local Green Space (LGS)?

Local Green Spaces are intended to protect areas that are important to local communities or have special qualities. The National Planning Framework explains that "by designating land as LGS, local communities will be able to rule out new development on these sites other than in very special circumstances". They can include public, private or community land, but designation does not give rights of access.

The identification of Open Areas of Local Significance (OALS) is a local policy specific to Mendip. Local Green Spaces are part of national policy. The Council have reviewed open spaces against the LGS criteria so that the reasons for their continued protection are up-to-date and take account of changes since 2002.

National Planning Policies state that the designation should only be used where:

the green space is in reasonably close proximity to the community it serves;

the area is demonstrably special to a local community and it holds a particular significance, for example because of its beauty, historic significance, recreational value (including as a playing field), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife;

the area is local in character and is not an extensive tract of land;

the area is not subject to a current planning permission for development or a proposal to allocate it for development;

the designation does not conflict with other objectives in the local planning framework;

Local Green Space designations are not intended to protect open countryside.

LGS Review timeline

Sept 2015

A technical paper with an overview of the adopted OALS sites was published in September 2015 as part of the issues and options consultation. This set out how the council intended to approach the designation of Local Green Spaces. This is document SD15 on the submission documents page.

Dec 2016

Following a review of comments at Issues and Options stage, town and parish councils were consulted informally on draft LGS sites and requested to provide information on landowners where available.

Nov 2017

Landowners of proposed LGS sites contacted in advance of the Pre-Submission consultation.

All representations made in relation to LGS (from landowners and other parties) reviewed including suggestions for additional LGS sites.

Nov 2018

Landowners of additional sites in Proposed Changes notified.

Dec 2018

Proposed Changes to Local Green Spaces and additional sites agreed at Council. The proposed changes also list OALS sites being deleted from the Proposals Map. Maps of the sites revised/added to be deleted are shown in the documents section of the submission documents page (scroll down) and labelled G1 - G52.

Jan 2019

Council Responses on LGS sites (objections/new sites/changes published by town and settlement. Combined Maps showing the result of publication LGS sites and amendments made in proposed changes for towns and settlements, see Settlement Issues and Responses page.